Clothes-pin.



No. 885,360. PATENTED NOV; 6, 1906.

T. A. LUSTER & J. W. STEWART.

CLOTHES PIN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1905.

atkoznag s PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. LUSTER AND JAMES W. STEWART, OF CALVERT, TEXAS.

CLOTHES-PIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS A. LUSTER and JAMEs W. STEWART, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Calvert, in the county of Robertson andState of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements inClothes-Pins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inclothes-pins and pertains more particularly to that class ofclothes-pins which are made of wire and intended to remain permanentlyupon the wire or rope employed to support the clothes.

The invention has for its object the production of a simple andinexpensive clothespin made of wire and provided with means whereby thesame will remain in any ad usted position upon the clothes line or wire.

Afurther object is to provide means whereby the clothes-pin may bereadily engaged with and disengaged from the clothes it is intended tohold in position.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly setforth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspectiveillustrating our improved clothes-pin when not in use. Fig. 2 is asimilar view illustrating the positions assumed by the parts whenengaging clothing or similar articles to support the same in position.Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a wire which is coiled uponitself at 11 to form an eye through which the clothes line or wire L ispassed. The opposite strands of the wire after forming said coil arecrossed at 12 and extended in opposite directions, being bowed to formspring portions 13, which are arranged at a slight angle to theclothes-line and serve to grip the latter and also form a resilientsupport for the arms 14, extended upwardly therefrom. At the free endsof the arms 14 the wire is coiled to form jaws 15, which are adapted toembrace the clothes line or wire L and engage the clothing or otherarticles to be supported thereon, the free ends of the wire 10 afterbeing extended beyond the jaws 15 being looped in a plane at rightangles to said jaws to form fingerpieces 16, whereby said jaws may bemore readily manipulated.

In practice the clothes line or wire L is threaded through the eye 11before hanging,

and the bowed or spring portions 13.will so grip said line or wire thatthe clothes-pin not move upon the latter except when positively moved bythe" hand. In this manner the pin will always remain at any desiredpoint on the clothes line or wire to which it may be adjusted. When itis desired to se cure a garment or other article upon the line or wireL, the operator grasps one of the finger-pieces 16, and after placingthe garment over the line or wire L the jaw 15 is pulled downward belowsaid line, and upon the operator releasing said finger-piece said jaw 15will spring up and grip both the garment and the wire. When it isdesired to disengage the jaw 1 5, the same is pulled downwarduntil clearof the line and given a slight lateral bending movement, whereupon thespring-arm 14 will force the same upwardly clear of the line. In thisconnection it will be noted that the arms 14 are slightly inclinedrelatively to the line or wire L in order that the jaws 15 may bedirected into engagement with said line or wire when released below thelatter.

From what has been said it will be observed that we have produced aclothes-pin that is simple and inexpensive in structure and which whenonce placed in position will not ride down to the lowest point of asagging clothes line or wire when not in use. It will also be noted thatby means of the finger-pieces the clothes-pin jaw is readily engagedwith and disengaged from the clothes line or wire.

We claim as our invention 1. A clothes-pin formed of a single piece ofwire coiled to form an eye, said Wire being then bent adjacent saidcoiled portion to form spring bowed portions, said spring bowed portionsbeing extended at an angle with relation to the bore of the coiledportion to grip the clothes-line, and spring-arms extended from saidbowed portions and provided with jaws on their free ends.

2. A clothes-pin provided with an eye to receive the clothes-line, bowedline-gripping portions arranged at an angle to the bore of said eye torip the clothes-line, and oppositely-exten ed arms provided withclothesengaging aws.

3. A clothes-pin provided with an eye to receive the clothesline, bowedline-gripping portions arranged at an angle to the bore of said eye togrip the clothes-line, oppositelyextended arms provided withclothes-engaging jaws, and finger-pieces adjacent said jaws and arrangedin a plane at right angles thereto.

4. A clothespin formed of a single piece of wire coiled to form an eye,said wire being then bent adjacent said coiled portion to.

form spring bowed portions which are extended at an angle with relationto the bore of said coiled portion to grip the clothes-line, andspring-arms extended from said bowed portions, the extremities of saidarms being coiled to form clothes-engaging jaws.

I 5. A clothes-pin formed of a single piece of wire coiled to form aneye, said wire being then bent adjacent said coiled portion to formspring bowed portions which are extended at an angle with relationto thebore of said coiled portion to grip the clothes-line, i and spring-armsextended from said bowed portions, the extremities of said arms beingcoiled to form clothes-engaging 'aws, the terminals of the wire beingthen ent to form depending finger-pieces arranged in a plane at rightangles to said clothes-engaging jaws.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS A. LUSTER. JAMES W. STEWART.

Witnesses:

SCOTT FIELD, W. S. BAILEY.

